Stackable containers having deployable surfaces

ABSTRACT

A container having deployable support surfaces for reinforcing the container to permit stacking is disclosed. The container includes a plurality of sidewalls pivotably attached to one another end to end. A bottom flap is attached to the bottom edge of each sidewall, and a pivotable support surface is attached to the top edges of two oppositely disposed sidewalls. For each support surface, a support panel extends from the support surface to the bottom flap directly beneath it. The support panels are pivotably attached to the support surfaces and bottom flaps, and, with the oppositely disposed side walls, act as a four bar mechanism to position the support surfaces substantially perpendicular to the side walls when the bottom flaps are pivoted to form the bottom of the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns containers, and especially corrugated cardboard containers assemblable, either automatically or manually from a knockdown state, and having support surfaces permitting stacking of the containers one atop another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers find broad use in the shipment of many types of goods, especially bulk goods. Examples of bulk goods include many food items such as candy and snack foods, small hardware items, small toys and other consumer products. Increasingly, such containers have been found useful for the display and dispensing of the goods at the point of purchase in addition to their traditional function as a shipping container.

Containers formed of corrugated cardboard provide an economical and robust means for fulfilling the goals of shipment to and display of items at the point of purchase. It has been found advantageous to provide the containers in what is known as a knockdown state, wherein the containers are folded into a flat configuration so that they occupy only a fraction of the volume which they can hold once assembled. This allows large numbers of containers to be shipped efficiently to the container user, who assembles the containers from the knockdown state, fills them with the bulk goods, and ships the goods to his customers. The design of the containers is such that assembly from the knockdown state may be easily accomplished by automated machinery.

It has also been found useful to provide internal reinforcing structures to the containers to permit them to be stacked one above another without fear of crushing the lowermost containers. Like the rest of the container to which it is attached, the reinforcing structures must lie substantially flat in the knockdown state, and then be deployed when the container is assembled. This has been accomplished by linking the reinforcing structures to the bottom flaps of the container, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,778. The reinforcing structures deploy automatically when the bottom flaps are pivoted into positioned to form the bottom of the container. The design of such containers, however, has a disadvantage in that the bottom flaps extend outwardly from the container when in the knockdown state. While the volume of the container in the knockdown state is greatly reduced, the extension of the bottom flaps outwardly increases the width of the containers. It would be advantageous to further reduce the size of the container when in the knockdown state by reducing the width of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a container, preferably formed from corrugated cardboard, and comprising a plurality of sidewalls attached to one another end to end. The sidewalls are pivotable angularly with respect to one another to surround a central space. Each of the sidewalls has a bottom edge and a top edge. The sidewalls include a first sidewall. The container has a plurality of bottom flaps. Each bottom flap is pivotably attached to one of the sidewalls along its bottom edge. The bottom flaps are pivotable about the bottom edges from a position within the central space to a position substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls thereby forming a bottom. The bottom flaps include a first bottom flap attached to the first sidewall.

A first support surface is pivotably attached to the top edge of the first sidewall. The first support surface is pivotable from a position substantially co-planar with the first sidewall to a position substantially perpendicular thereto. A first support panel is positioned in facing relation with the first sidewall. The first support panel has a first edge pivotably attached to the first support surface and a second edge pivotably attached to the first bottom flap. The first support panel causes the first support surface to pivot into the position substantially perpendicular to the first sidewall when the first bottom flap is pivoted into the position substantially perpendicular to the first sidewall.

The container preferably includes a second one of the sidewalls positioned in facing relation opposite to the first sidewall. A second one of the bottom flaps is pivotably attached along the bottom edge of the second sidewall. A second support surface is pivotably attached along the top edge of the second sidewall. The second support surface is pivotable from a position substantially co-planar with the second sidewall to a position substantially perpendicular thereto. A second support panel is positioned in facing relation with the second sidewall. The second support panel has a first edge pivotably attached to the second support surface and a second edge pivotably attached to the second bottom flap. The second support panel causes the second support surface to pivot into the position substantially perpendicular to the first sidewall when the second bottom flap is pivoted into the position substantially perpendicular to the second sidewall.

The container according to the invention may also have an adjacent sidewall pivotably attached to the first sidewall, and an adjacent bottom flap pivotably attached to the adjacent sidewall and to the first bottom flap. Connecting the adjacent bottom flap to the first bottom causes both the adjacent and the first bottom flaps to pivot into the position substantially perpendicular to the first sidewall when the adjacent sidewall is pivoted with respect to the first sidewall.

The container may be assembled, either manually or automatically, from a knockdown state. The knockdown state includes first and second knockdown walls positionable in overlying relation with one another and pivotably attached to one another at first and second knockdown corners. The first knockdown wall comprises at least two of the sidewalls positioned substantially in a first plane, the second knockdown wall comprises at least another two of the sidewalls positioned substantially in a second plane in facing relation substantially parallel with the first plane.

Preferably, one of the sidewalls includes a removable portion. The removable portion has a perimeter defined by a plurality of perforations in the one sidewall. The removable portion is separable from the one sidewall thereby providing access to the central space.

The container also comprises a plurality of top flaps. Each of the top flaps is pivotably attached to one of the sidewalls along its top edge. The top flaps are pivotable about the top edges to a position substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls to enclose the central space.

In a preferred embodiment, the container comprises four bottom flaps, the bottom flaps being arranged in overlapping relation so as to form a crash type bottom when the bottom flaps are in the position substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank used to form the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially formed container using the blank shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container shown in a knockdown state;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views of the container being assembled from the knockdown state; and

FIGS. 7 and 7A are sectional views taken at line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container 10 according to the invention. Corrugated cardboard is the preferred material for containers such as 10, but other paper or polymer materials are also feasible.

Container 10 includes a plurality of sidewalls 12, 14, 16 and 18 attached to one another end to end. The sidewalls are preferably pivotably attached to one another to allow them to be folded flat into a knockdown state (shown in FIG. 4 and described below) and unfolded into spaced apart relation surrounding a central space 20 as shown in FIG. 1.

Sidewalls 14 and 18 have respective top edges 14 a and 18 a to which top flaps 22 and 24 are attached. The top flaps 22 and 24 are pivotable about the respective top edges 14 a and 18 a to allow the container to be opened to receive goods into central space 20, and closed to seal the goods within the container. Preferably, sidewall 14 has a removable portion 26 defined by a plurality of perforations 28 forming a perimeter 30 of the portion 26. The removable portion 26 is separable from sidewall 14 manually by tearing it away from the sidewall to provide access to the central space 20. This feature is particularly advantageous for displaying the goods within the container, thereby using the container as a display device to promote retail sales.

All of the sidewalls 12, 14, 16 and 18 have respective bottom edges 12 b, 14 b, 16 b and 18 b to which bottom flaps 32, 34, 36 and 38 are attached. The bottom flaps are pivotable about the bottom edges of the sidewalls to allow the container to assume the knockdown state shown in FIG. 4. The bottom flaps 32-38 pivot between the knockdown position, wherein they are folded within the central space 20 substantially parallel to the sidewalls 12-18 (as shown in FIG. 5) into the assembled position, shown in FIG. 6, wherein the bottom flaps are substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls. By positioning the bottom flaps within the central space 20 in the knockdown state, the width of the container in the knockdown state is substantially reduced. Preferably, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, bottom flaps 32-38 are arranged in overlapping relation in the manner of a 1-2-3-4 or “crash” bottom as is known in the container art.

Container 10 is preferably constructed from a blank 40, shown in FIG. 2. Blank 40 is cut from a continuous web of material, preferably using die cutting techniques. The sidewalls 12-14 are defined by fold lines 42, 44, 46 and 48 marking the ends of the sidewalls, the fold lines being regions of reduced bending flexibility created by scoring or perforating regions of the blank to permit it to fold or pivot easily about the fold line. Similarly, top flaps 22 and 24 are defined by respective fold lines 50 and 52 positioned between them and the respective sidewalls 14 and 18 to which they are attached. Each bottom flap 32, 34, 36 and 38 has its respective fold line 54, 56, 58 and 60 positioned between it and the respective sidewall to which it is attached.

FIG. 3 illustrates how the container is constructed from the blank 40. Bottom flaps 32-38 are pivoted into position substantially perpendicular to sidewalls 12-18 and then the sidewalls are pivoted relatively to one another to bring the bottom flaps into overlapping configuration to form the type of bottom desired, in this example, a crash type bottom. Sidewall 18 is attached to sidewall 16 using a tab 62 to which adhesive 64 is applied, the tab being defined by the fold line 46 which allows the sidewalls 16 and 18 joined by the tab to pivot relatively to one another.

Preferably, the bottom flaps are attached to one another in a manner that will allow them to pivot from their folded position within central space 20 into the position perpendicular to the sidewalls to form the container bottom in response to the sidewalls pivoting relatively to one another into spaced relation when the container is assembled. To this end, as shown in FIG. 3, bottom flap 32 is attached in overlapping relation to a foldable portion 38 a of bottom flap 38. The foldable portion 34 a is demarcated by a fold line 66 extending substantially diagonally across the bottom flap 38. Adhesive 64, for example, a hot-melt type, is preferably used to attach the flaps together. Similarly, bottom flap 36 is attached in overlapping relation to a foldable portion 34 a of bottom flap 34, the foldable portion being again defined by a fold line 68. By attaching bottom flaps 32 and 36 to respective foldable portions 38 a and 34 a of adjacent bottom flaps 38 and 34, the bottom flaps are pivotably attached to one another. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, when, for example, opposite sidewalls 14 and 18 are moved into spaced apart relation to one another by pivoting the sidewalls 12-18 about their respective fold lines 42-48 in the manner of a four-bar linkage, the bottom flap 34 pulls on the bottom flap 36, and the bottom flap 38 pulls on the bottom flap 32, resulting in the pivoting of the bottom flaps from a folded position within central space 20 to the position substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls 12-18 as shown in FIG. 6.

With reference again to FIG. 1, the container 10 includes a pair of support surfaces 70 and 72. Support surface 70 is attached along top edge 16 a of sidewall 16 and is pivotable about this edge from a position substantially co-planar with sidewall 16, as shown in FIG. 4, into a position substantially perpendicular to the sidewall, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. Similarly, support surface 72 is attached along top edge 12 a of sidewall 12 and can be pivoted between positions similarly to support surface 70.

As best shown in FIG. 3, a support panel 74 is attached between support surface 70 and bottom flap 36. Attachment is preferably effected using an adhesive coated tab 76 attached to the support panel. A similar construction is used for support surface 72, wherein a support panel 78 having adhesive coated tab 80 is shown being folded into engagement with bottom flap 32.

The support surfaces 70 and 72, in conjunction with their support panels 74 and 78, provide a reinforced structure at opposite ends of the container 10 that provides added strength to support similar containers stacked on top of the container 10. This is advantageous for both shipping and display, because it allows multiple containers to be stacked without fear of crushing the lowermost containers.

The support panels 74 and 78 are pivotably attached to their respective support surfaces 70 and 72 as well as to their respective bottom flaps 36 and 32, and in conjunction with sidewalls 12 and 16, they form a four-bar linkage as illustrated for one of the assemblies in FIGS. 7 and 7A. The pivotable nature of the four-bar linkage is such that it allows the support surface 70 to pivot between a position substantially co-planar with the sidewall 16 and a position substantially perpendicular to the sidewall (see FIG. 7) in response to pivoting motion of the bottom flap 36 to which the support panel 74 is attached. FIG. 7A illustrates an intermediate position assumed by the various components during transition between positions and describes the operation of both support surfaces 70 and 72 in relation to pivoting of their respective bottom flaps 36 and 32 occasioned by the pivoting of sidewalls 12-18 relatively to one another to assemble the container from the knockdown state shown in FIG. 4.

The knockdown configuration is advantageous because it allows the container 10 to be shipped to a user in a collapsed configuration wherein each container occupies only a fraction of the volume that it can hold when assembled from the knockdown. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the knockdown state 82 comprises a first knockdown wall 84 formed by sidewalls 16 and 18 in a substantially co-planar relation with one another. A second knockdown wall 86, partially shown, is formed from sidewalls 12 and 14 positioned co-planar with respect to one another. The knockdown walls are joined at knockdown corners 88 and 90, which also coincide with fold lines 48 and 44 respectively. As may be inferred from FIG. 5, when container 10 is in the knockdown state, the bottom flaps 32-38 and the support panels 74 and 78 are positioned within the central space 20 between the sidewalls 12-18.

After containers 10 are shipped to the user, they are assembled by the user from the knockdown state either manually or by machine. Assembly is described with reference to FIGS. 4 through 7. In FIG. 4, the container 10 is in the knockdown state with knockdown walls 84 and 86 in overlying relation with one another. The knockdown walls are separated from one another by pivoting the sidewalls 12-18 about fold lines 42-48 to bring the sidewalls into spaced apart relation as shown in FIG. 5. The sidewalls pivot in the manner of a four-bar linkage. Pivoting of the sidewalls in turn causes the bottom flaps 34 and 38 to draw the respective flaps 36 and 32 to which they are attached from a position between the sidewalls into the position shown in FIG. 6, wherein the bottom flaps are substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls and form the bottom of the container. As the bottom flaps 32 and 36 pivot they draw the support panels 78 and 74 toward the bottom of the container, causing the support surfaces 72 and 70 to pivot from their position substantially co-planar with sidewalls 16 and 12 to an orientation substantially perpendicular to theses sidewalls. The now opened central space 20 of the container is next filled with goods, and the top flaps 22 and 24 are folded over and sealed to close container 10 as shown in FIG. 1.

Containers according to the invention, wherein the bottom flaps are positioned within a central space between the sidewalls when the container is in the knockdown state, offer a significant reduction in width over prior art containers, wherein the bottom flaps extend outwardly when in the knockdown state. The reduction in size lends even greater efficiency and economy to the shipment of the containers to their users in the knockdown state. 

1. A container, comprising: a plurality of sidewalls attached to one another end to end, said sidewalls being pivotable angularly with respect to one another to surround a central space, each of said sidewalls having a bottom edge and a top edge, said sidewalls including a first sidewall; a plurality of bottom flaps, each bottom flap being pivotably attached to one of said sidewalls along its bottom edge, said bottom flaps being pivotable about said bottom edges from a position within said central space to a position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls thereby forming a bottom, said bottom flaps including a first bottom flap attached to said first sidewall; a first support surface pivotably attached to the top edge of said first sidewall, said first support surface being pivotable from a position substantially co-planar with said first sidewall to a position substantially perpendicular thereto; and a first support panel positioned in facing relation with said first sidewall and having a first edge pivotably attached to said first support surface and a second edge pivotably attached to said first bottom flap, said first support panel pivoting said first support surface into said position substantially perpendicular to said first sidewall when said first bottom flap is pivoted into said position substantially perpendicular to said first sidewall.
 2. A container according to claim 1, further comprising: a second of said sidewalls positioned in facing relation opposite to said first sidewall; a second of said bottom flaps pivotably attached along the bottom edge of said second sidewall; a second support surface pivotably attached along the top edge of said second sidewall, said second support surface being pivotable from a position substantially co-planar with said second sidewall to a position substantially perpendicular thereto; and a second support panel positioned in facing relation with said second sidewall and having a first edge pivotably attached to said second support surface and a second edge pivotably attached to said second bottom flap, said second support panel pivoting said second support surface into said position substantially perpendicular to said first sidewall when said second bottom flap is pivoted into said position substantially perpendicular to said second sidewall.
 3. A container according to claim 1, wherein said sidewalls further include an adjacent sidewall and said bottom flaps include an adjacent bottom flap attached to said adjacent sidewall, said adjacent sidewall being pivotably attached to said first sidewall, said adjacent bottom flap being pivotably attached to said first bottom flap, said adjacent bottom flap and said first bottom flap both pivoting into said position substantially perpendicular to said first sidewall when said adjacent sidewall is pivoted with respect to said first sidewall.
 4. A container according to claim 1, further comprising a knockdown state including first and second knockdown walls positionable in overlying relation with one another and pivotably attached to one another at first and second knockdown corners, said first knockdown wall comprising at least two of said sidewalls positioned substantially in a first plane, said second knockdown wall comprising at least another two of said sidewalls positioned substantially in a second plane in facing relation substantially parallel with said first plane.
 5. A container according to claim 1, wherein one of said sidewalls includes a removable portion, said removable portion having a perimeter defined by a plurality of perforations in said one sidewall, said removable portion being separable from said one sidewall thereby providing access to said central space.
 6. A container according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of top flaps, each of said top flaps being pivotably attached to one of said sidewalls along its top edge, said top flaps being pivotable about said top edges to a position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls and enclosing said central space.
 7. A container according to claim 1, wherein said sidewalls, support surface and support panel are formed from paperboard.
 8. A container according to claim 1, comprising four said bottom flaps, said bottom flaps being arranged in overlapping relation so as to form a crash type bottom when said bottom flaps are in said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls.
 9. A container comprising: a plurality of sidewalls pivotably attached to one another end to end, said sidewalls surrounding a central space, said sidewalls including a first and a second sidewall positioned in facing relation opposite one another; a plurality of bottom flaps, each being pivotably attached to a bottom edge of one of said sidewalls and pivotable from a position within said central space to a position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls thereby forming a bottom, said bottom flaps including a first bottom flap attached to said first sidewall and a second bottom flap attached to said second sidewall; first and second support surfaces pivotably attached to top edges of said first and second sidewalls respectively, said first and second support surfaces each being pivotable from a position substantially co-planar with said first and second sidewalls respectively, to a position substantially perpendicular to said first and second sidewalls respectively; a first support panel in facing relation with said first sidewall and having a first edge pivotably connected to said first support surface and a second edge pivotably connected to said first bottom flap; and a second support panel in facing relation with said second sidewall and having a first edge pivotably connected to said second support surface and a second edge pivotably connected to said second bottom flap, pivoting motion of said first and second bottom flaps into said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls pivoting said support surfaces into said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls.
 10. A container according to claim 9, wherein said sidewalls further include first and second adjacent sidewalls positioned in facing relation opposite one another, and said bottom flaps further include first and second adjacent bottom flaps attached to said first and second adjacent sidewalls respectively, said first and second adjacent sidewalls being pivotably attached to said first and second sidewalls, said first adjacent bottom flap being pivotably attached to said first bottom flap, said second adjacent bottom flap being pivotably attached to said second bottom flap, said first and second adjacent bottom flaps and said first and second bottom flaps pivoting into said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls when said first and second adjacent sidewalls are pivoted to a substantially perpendicular position with respect to said first and second sidewalls respectively.
 11. A container according to claim 10, further comprising a knockdown state including first and second knockdown walls positionable in overlying relation with one another and pivotably attached to one another at first and second knockdown corners, said first knockdown wall comprising said first adjacent sidewall and said second sidewall positioned substantially in a first plane, said second knockdown wall comprising said first sidewall and said second adjacent sidewall positioned substantially in a second plane in facing relation substantially parallel with said first plane, said sidewalls being pivotable about said knockdown corners to separate said knockdown walls and form said container therefrom.
 12. A container according to claim 11, wherein one of said adjacent sidewalls includes a removable portion, said removable portion having a perimeter defined by a plurality of perforations in said adjacent sidewall, said removable portion being separable from said adjacent sidewall thereby providing access to said central space.
 13. A container according to claim 11, further comprising first and second top flaps, each top flap being pivotably attached to one of said adjacent sidewalls along its top edge, said top flaps being pivotable about said top edges to a position substantially perpendicular to said adjacent sidewalls and enclosing said central space.
 14. A container according to claim 10, wherein said bottom flaps and said adjacent bottom flaps are arranged in overlapping relation so as to form a crash type bottom when said bottom flaps are in said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls.
 15. A container, comprising: four sidewalls attached to one another end to end, said sidewalls being pivotable relatively to one another so as to be movable between a knockdown state, wherein two of said sidewalls are in a first plane and two of said sidewalls are in a second plane overlying said first plane, and an assembled state, wherein said sidewalls are in spaced apart relation to one another surrounding a central space; four bottom flaps, each said bottom flap being attached to one of said sidewalls along a bottom edge thereof, said bottom flaps being pivotable from a position sandwiched between said sidewalls in said knockdown state, and a position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls thereby forming a bottom in said assembled state; first and second support surfaces pivotably attached along top edges of first and second of said sidewalls respectively, said support surfaces being pivotable into a position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls, said first and second sidewalls being positioned in facing relation opposite to one another; and first and second support panels positioned in spaced apart facing relation with said first and second sidewalls, said support panels extending, respectively, between said first and second support surfaces and said bottom flaps attached to said first and second sidewalls, pivoting motion of said bottom panels into said position substantially perpendicular to said first and second sidewalls pivoting said first and second support surfaces into said position substantially perpendicular to said first and second sidewalls.
 16. A container according to claim 15, wherein said bottom flap attached to said first sidewall is pivotably attached to one of said bottom flaps, and said bottom flap attached to said second sidewall is pivotably attached to another one of said bottom flaps, said bottom flaps pivoting into said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls when said sidewalls are pivoted into spaced apart relation to one another.
 17. A container according to claim 15, wherein one of said sidewalls attached to said first and second sidewalls includes a removable portion, said removable portion having a perimeter defined by a plurality of perforations in said one sidewall, said removable portion being separable from said one sidewall thereby providing access to said central space.
 18. A container according to claim 15, further comprising first and second top flaps, each top flap being pivotably attached to one of said sidewalls attached to said first and second sidewalls, said top flaps being attached to and pivotable about respective top edges of said sidewalls to a position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls and enclosing said central space.
 19. A container according to claim 15, wherein said bottom flaps are arranged in overlapping relation so as to form a crash type bottom when said bottom flaps are in said position substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls. 